Since the attacks of October 7 and the beginning of Swords of Iron, more than 7,000 wounded veterans have joined Beit Halochem in Israel, a number projected to rise to 20,000 by the end of 2024.

On October 11, Itay Sagy, a 25-year-old reservist in the Maglan special forces unit, embarked on a mission to battle Hamas with his team. En route, their truck broke down near Kibbutz Zikim, a site impacted by the terror attacks. As one group stayed to fix the vehicle, the other made its way to a bomb shelter to take cover from Hamas’ ongoing rocket attacks.

Itay recalls, “When we got to the shelter, we were ambushed. Eight terrorists opened fire on us from all directions. Three of my friends were killed and the rest of us fought like crazy.
I managed to kill two terrorists but then they started throwing grenades. I dodged two but didn’t see one that fell beside me. It exploded and shrapnel ripped open my neck.”

“A medic kept his hand in my neck, trying to control the bleeding. Forty minutes later, after our team killed the terrorists who ambushed us, I was evacuated by chopper to a hospital in Tel Aviv.”

Itay’s mother expresses, “It’s very hard for a mother to part with her children and send them into battle, even when she knows it’s for the greater good of our nation. When they find out that their child was wounded during combat, it’s even harder.”

While in hospital, Itay was visited regularly by Beit Halochem members who were there to reassure him that there is life after injury. Their messages resonated and Itay says, “As a fighter, and with Beit Halochem’s help, I will never give up on my dreams.”

Itay, a law and administration student, visits Beit Halochem several days each week for physiotherapy treatments. Aside from his physical injuries, Itay is among the many afflicted with Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Given the urgent need to expand these programs, we will significantly increase our funding of this crucial initiative.